This is the fiftieth 12 months of the enduring Ayyappan track ‘Harivarasanam’, which is performed each night time in Sabarimala temple, as the ultimate ritual of the day, at closing time. Sung by Ok.J. Yesudas, the track was tuned by G. Devarajan, respectfully adressed as Devarajan grasp.
Devarajan gravitated to music naturally. His father Paravur N. Kochu Govindan Asan, a famend mridangist and singer of his time, had educated underneath the laya wizard Pudukotttai Dakshinamurthy Pillai. Govindan Asan ensured that Devarajan learnt vocal, veena and mridangam. Devarajan’s first Carnatic live performance was on the age of 17 and he quickly grew to become a sought-after musician busy with stage and radio live shows.
With an purpose to take classical music to everybody, Devarajan grasp set to tune many poems penned by well-known writers and included in his live shows too.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Setting to tune well-liked poems
Devarajan needed classical music to succeed in everybody. So, he set to tune poems by well-known authors akin to Ulloor Parameswaran Iyer, Kumaranasan, Changampuzha G. Kumarapillai, O.N.V. Kurup, and P. Bhaskaran, and included them in his live shows. He joined the well-known drama troupe of Kerala, the Kerala People’s Arts Club (KPAC). ‘Ponnarival’, a track that Devarajan tuned and sang for KPAC, additionally discovered a spot in his live shows.
He forayed into cinema with the 1955 movie Kaalam Maarunnu. His songs stay well-liked, even years after he composed them. ‘Lehari lehari’ (from the movie Bharya, 1962) and ‘Parakkum thaligaiyil’ (from the movie Manavatti, 1964) are irresistible jaunty tunes. ‘Manavatti’ has the excellence of being the primary Malayalam movie with a lady script author — Aswathy Mathen.
Myriad types
The background music of ‘Chummathiri Ende Ponnaliya’ (by singer A.L. Raghavan) suggests the staggering of a tipsy reveller. ‘Kuttanadan Punjaiyile’ brings earlier than your eyes the frenzied rowing of the Champakkulam vallam kali (snake boat races) and of boats knifing by the backwaters of Alleppey. ‘Ayiram padasarangal’ in Darbari Kanada (movie Nadhi; 1969) is an aching melody, which exhibits how highly effective the emotional language of music could be.
The iconic Ayyappan track ‘Harivarasanam’, sung by Yesudas and tuned by Devarajan remains to be performed each night time in Sabarimala temple.
| Photo Credit:
SAMPATH KUMAR GP
‘Thirupparkadalil’ (from the Tamil movie Swami Ayyappan) is a basic Bhairavi. ‘Chethi mandaram thulasi’ (in raga Anandabhairavi) is a prayer to Guruvayurappan. It is an instance of why typically much less is extra. Devarajan has used minimal musical devices right here, with the flute being outstanding , endowing the track with an ethereal high quality.
‘Sangam valartha Tamizh’ (from the Tamil movie Tulabharam) in Chenjurutti, Punnagavarali and Kavadichindu mettu is a mix of classical and folks music. ‘Chandrakalabham’ (movie Kottaram Vilkkanundu) is a salutation to the earth. And as Yesudas sings, “Is there any other place like this earth, with such divine music ?” one can’t assist assume that it’s a track written for Devarajan grasp, who composed music for 343 Malayalam movies and 12 Tamil movies.
Classical ragas in movie songs
Navaneeth Unnikrishnan, a scholar of Hindustani and Carnatic music, maintains an internet site on Devarajan, with the assistance of P.J. Sebastian (whoworked as a chief conductor for Devarajan) and Rex Isaacs (chief violinist in his orchestra). “Master learnt Hindustani from Pt. Krishnanand before he used Hindustani ragas in film songs,” says Navaneeth. “I’m amazed on the manner he used Kedar raga within the track ‘Chakravarthini’, with no hint of Hamirkalyani. ‘Swargaputhri navarathri’ (Mohanam); ‘Charumukhi usha’ (Saurashtram); ‘Himasaila saikatha’ (Sankarabharanam), ‘Premasarvaswame’ (Karaharapriya) and ‘Innenikki pottukuthan’ (Miya ki Malhar) are a number of the raga-based songs. Through my very own analysis and discussions with classical and non-classical musicians who labored with grasp, I’ve recognized greater than 120 Hindustani and Carnatic ragas utilized in his movie and drama music. There may very well be extra. His tabla patterns had been revolutionary, as, for instance, within the track ‘Sree nagarathile’.
Working with stalwarts
Devarajan grasp with T.M. Soundararajan and R.Ok. Sekar throughout a recording.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Many musicians have performed for his movie songs, together with mridangistsGuruvayur Dorai and Madurai T. Srinivasan, flautists N. Ramani and Prapancham Seetharam, violinists L. Subramaniam and L. Shankar, Vainika Chittibabu, sitarist Janardhan Mitta, ghatam participant Vikku Vinayakram and sarod participant Ok. Sridhar. R.Ok. Shekar (A.R. Rahman’s father) was a conductor in his orchestra and Ilaiyaraaja performed the guitar and combo devices for a few of his songs. Devarajan Master composed music for about 2,221 (movie and non-film) songs and wrote the e-book Sangeetha Sastra Nava Sudha, which is a examine of all types of classical music the world over.”
Devarajan’s daughter, Sharmila, says, “If asked to give a tune before the lyrics were ready, my father would refuse. He felt it was unfair to the lyricist.” This, maybe, explains the chemistry he shared with lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma. Some of Devarajan’s greatest tunes had been for his lyrics.
“He would compose music between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. , come up with three or more tunes and then go to sleep. Whichever tune he remembered when he woke up would be the one to make its way into the film,” says Sharmila. “His argument was that if he himself could not remember a tune, then listeners wouldn’t find it appealing.”
Sangeetha Sastra Navasudha, the e-book authored by G. Devarajan.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Devarajan left indelible imprints in all genres of music. He established the Shaktigadha Choir, translated main Indian ragas to chord progressions and composed 162 shatkala pallavis, a few of them in apoorva ragas. At his seventy fifth birthday celebrations in Kochi, his Shatkala pallavi ‘Saravana bhava guhane’ in Shanmukhapriya, was carried out by Mavelikkara Prabhakara Varma and his disciple Mavelikkara Subramaniam. This was adopted by vocalist Krishnakumar’s rendition of his pallavis. “ His Shatkala pallavi, ‘Prapanchodbhava kaarana’ (raga Vinodini), in Sankeerna jati ata tala, expresses his gratitude for his life,” says Krishnakumar. Master had set to tune a few of Narayana guru’s songs, and 10 singers, together with me, have rendered them.
Fine Arts Society in Paravur, Kollam, is establishing the Devarajan Master Museum and Study-Research Centre. The museum will home his musical devices, apart from his awards, track notations, gramophone, 78 rpm data and books on music.
